{"id":23,"date":"2019-09-11T18:25:30","date_gmt":"2019-09-11T18:25:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/socedind\/chapter\/__unknown__\/"},"modified":"2023-09-10T22:00:22","modified_gmt":"2023-09-10T22:00:22","slug":"__unknown__","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/socedind\/chapter\/__unknown__\/","title":{"raw":"Chapter 1: Introduction","rendered":"Chapter 1: Introduction"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_22\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"635\"]\"\"<\/a> Source: \"Sit quietly and pay attention<\/a>\" by Carey Ciuro is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0<\/a>[\/caption]\r\n\r\n
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Learning Objectives<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

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After reading this chapter, you will be able to<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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  1. Define sociology of education.<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Explain and give examples of what is meant by social structure<\/em>.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Recognize why this textbook takes a critical Indigenous perspective on the sociology of education.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Relate the concept of cultural safety to critical Indigenous perspectives.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Explain how understanding news stories about education-related topics can be enhanced by incorporating approaches from the sociology of education.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

    Introduction to the Sociology of Education<\/span><\/h1>\r\n

    On any given day in Canada, there is likely to be a major news item that features the topic of education. Whether it is about the value of a university degree, the cost of <\/span>ed<\/span>u<\/span>cation, the working conditions of teachers, or achievements of students, education is of great concern and interest to policy makers, politicians, and Canadians in general. <\/span>There is a common belief in Canadian society (and beyond) that education is essential to e<\/span>n<\/span>sure a good quality of life and that education holds the key to an individual\u2019s success. Parents who hope their children have a better standard of living than they did will more often than not point to education as being the major determining factor in this outcome. This is particularly true if the parents are recent immigrants (Krahn and Taylor, 2005), because the parents very likely settled in Canada to improve the prospects of their <\/span>chi<\/span>l<\/span>dren. Education, therefore, is regarded as something to be attained in order to ensure future ec<\/span>o<\/span>nomic security, social status, and perhaps even social and psychological <\/span>well-being. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

    In this book, the topic of education is discussed within a sociological framework. The\u00a0[pb_glossary id=\"88\"]sociology of education[\/pb_glossary] <\/strong>is a branch of sociology that studies how social structures<\/em> affect education as well as the various outcomes of education<\/em>. Social structures in general refer to enduring patterns of social arrangement. Sociologists see social structure in all aspects of society. For example, social class<\/em> is a social structure that generally refers to the socioeconomic background of an individual and his or her family. Social class has been found to impact on many aspects of life that are related to education, including educational achievement (i.e., grades), educational attainment (highest qualification), and future aspirations. Other examples of social structures are bureaucracy, legal systems, the family, religion, and race. These are all enduring patterns of social relations that are observable in society\u2014groupings that are entrenched in our collective minds and that guide our behaviours and shape our life outcomes.<\/span><\/p>\r\nBecause Indigenous People, especially First Nations on reserves, experience education as that which is structured by the federal government and because much harm has been done to Indigenous People through this nation state sanctioned education, this textbook takes a particularly direct and [pb_glossary id=\"309\"]critical[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0examination of education in the Indigenous context. As part of a commitment to the education-related recommendations (see the Calls to Action<\/a>) <\/strong>from the [pb_glossary id=\"324\"]Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0the authors of this text have worked to centre Indigenous education. Thus, as readers of this text, you will come to understand how sociological perspectives on education affect Indigenous People and non-Indigenous People in what we have come to know as Canada. When asked what Canadians should do about the TRC, many simply say that Canadian's should read the Summary of the Final Report<\/a>.<\/span>\r\n

    Why has this textbook taken a critical Indigenous perspective<\/span><\/h1>\r\n

    The sociology of education is a way of examining education in order to understand how social structures shape various aspects of education. Indeed, these social structures shape not only how we understand education, but also how it has been designed over the years, how education in Canada has influenced Indigenous People, how the structure of education systems exists today, and the various outcomes associated with educational credentials. This textbook has amplified a critical Indigenous perspective because inequities continue to persist and many of those inequities are embedded in educational structures. This textbook is one means to change the way we think about education and through that process we can remove white supremacist, colonial ideologies. This is our attempt to decolonize education about education in Sociology. This textbook is also continually under revision. If you see something that needs to be added or changed, please let Dr. Gingras<\/a> know.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    What is Cultural Safety?<\/span><\/h1>\r\n<\/div>\r\nAccording to Robyn Williams (1999), \"<\/em>cultural safety means that an environment is spiritually and emotionally safe, as well as physically safe for people; there is no assault, challenge or denial of identity of who they are. Cultural safety is about a shared respect, shared meaning, knowledge and experience of learning together with dignity and listening\" (p. 213).\u00a0 Furthermore, unsafe cultural practices refer to any actions that diminish, demean, or disempower the cultural identity and wellbeing of an individual or group (Williams, 1999, p. 15). Maintaining cultural safety is crucial during this course and suggestions to consider are as follows:<\/span>\r\n